My name is Pedro DV. I’m a Software Engineer and Software Designer. I work as a
JavaFX and Swing Freelancer and
Consultant, but more generally can be described as a Front End Freelancer and Consultant
since I also have experience in web technologies, building web apps, etc,
and have experience in
User Interface Design
and User Experience.

Going through JMetro I just remembered the Toggle Switch control that I have created. It reminded me that this should be in a control repository next to other controls, publicly available for anyone to grab. I think this is one of those controls that should be part of the java sdk, it’s very popular especially on touch based devices. For more information read my previous blog post on the Toggle Switch control.

I have heard more than once people saying why a new control, why not simply style the Checkbox to appear the same way as a Toggle Switch. I think Toggle Switch merits being its own control the same way the Radio Button and Checkbox aren’t just skins of the Toggle Button, besides being conceptually a different control a Checkbox has the indeterminate state which doesn’t make sense in a Toggle Switch. Toggle Switch are usually also animated which can’t be achieved by skinning. And finally creating a Toggle Switch control makes it easier for others to style the control in different ways via css (styling a Checkbox to look like a Toggle Switch is difficult and hacky) .

One of the pertinent feedbacks I’ve received from the project members was that the default skin should be inline with the Modena theme. And so I created a new css stylesheet that I think is inline with Modena and is the default look of the control (if you don’t override the default stylesheet).